New Orleans: Dreams About Education (03:15)

FREE PREVIEW

Less than 6 out of every 10 student who enroll in high school in New Orleans will and only 2 will go to college. Louisiana ranked 45th in the nation for K-12 achievement before Hurricane Katrina, but residents are optimistic about the future.

New Orleans: Weak Education System (02:24)

Louisiana school system employees discuss the failure of the New Orleans public school system. It appears that Hurricane Katrina has given the city a chance to start over and improve the quality of education.

New Orleans: System of Schools (01:41)

After Hurricane Katrina New Orleans has developed a new education system. More than half of the students today attend charter schools. These schools control their own budgets and curriculum.

KIPP Believe College Prep - grades 5-8 (03:43)

The principal of a new charter school in New Orleans explains what he expects from students. Currently there are 57 locally run KIPP schools run in 17 states. Despite large grants for new schools KIPP is still in need of more resources.

New Orleans: Knowledge is Power (01:36)

KIPP Believe College Prep is a charter school preparing to open. The principal is looking to force social change and redefine what is expected of schools in New Orleans. It is a free public school that will raise the bar for education.

New Orleans: Charter School Principal (02:02)

At Kipp Believe College Prep the principal reads with the students after greeting them. Traditionally Kipp schools start with 5th grade and add one grade each year to serve 5th through 8th grades.

New Orleans: Charter School Message (02:08)

The principal at KIPP Believe College Prep tells his student to be the change they want to see in New Orleans schools. Homework and behavior are important. A student talks about the long hours and the "bench" system.

New Orleans: Student Discipline System (03:44)

The principal at KIPP Believe College Prep explains the "bench" system, which uses consequences to steer actions. If students don't work hard they can't be part of the team. The charter school has a 9.5 hours school day and 2 hours of homework.

New Orleans: School System History (02:25)

Students give KIPP Believe College Prep good reviews. Segregation and desegregation continue to have a negative impact on public schools attended mostly by poor Black kids in a predominantly Catholic community.

New Orleans: School Staff (01:34)

The principal of KIPP Believe College Prep is struggling to find a balance between being a great teacher and a great school leader. He tells his students to be the change they want to see the school.

New Orleans: Stay on Track (02:50)

A student who consistently struggles at school achieves his goal and is taken off "bench". He talks about his home life after Hurricane Katrina.

New Orleans: Benefits of Charter Schools: McDonogh 15 School for Creative Arts (03:15)

The charter school system works particularly well for kids in inner cities who were badly served by public education. A KIPP transformation school for pre-k through 8th grade has feedom over its budget, curriculum and teachers.

New Orleans: Transforming the School System (03:35)

A teacher from New Orleans expresses her disappointment with the negative publicity the public school system has received. She now works for a charter school and is excited about the possibility of change.

French Quarter After Hurricane Katrina (01:59)

McDonogh 15 School for Creative Arts is a KIPP transformation charter school in the middle of the French Quarter. The school aims to become a beacon of hope that will attract more families to the neighborhood. Kids talk about the new school.

Teacher Perspective on Charter Schools (04:11)

McDonogh 15A School in the French Quarter of New Orleans focuses on individualized teaching for each student. A teacher talks about the public school system before Hurricane Katrina and the benefits of teaching at a charter school.

New Orleans Community Parade (01:01)

School children participate in a parade in New Orleans.

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Charter School for Science and Technology (02:56)

A school vice principal gives a tour of his school that now sits empty because of Hurricane Katrina. A teacher talks about growing up in the Ninth Ward and the importance of education.

New Orleans Neighborhood School (02:10)

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Charter School for Science and Technology was once a beacon of hope for the Ninth Ward. The school's vice principal and a teacher talk about the community before Hurricane Katrina.

New Orleans School Temporary Location (01:57)

The principal of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Charter School talks about the school's decision to apply for charter school status in order to stay open. When they were given a substandard temporary building school officials led a protest.

New Orleans School Struggle for Facilities (01:29)

A school district superintendent in New Orleans addresses the reasons Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Charter School was given a facility in very poor condition. School officials feel the district was separated into "haves and have nots".

Texas Schools vs. New Orleans Schools (02:57)

One of the students at Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Charter School for Science and Technology talks about his favorite subject. His mother explains how she found the school after Hurricane Katrina.

Rebuilding Communities in New Orleans (03:15)

Residents of New Orleans felt like they had been forgotten about after Hurricane Katrina. A woman talks about the trailer park she lives in with her grandson. She is a volunteer crossing guard at his school.

Rebuilding Lives in New Orleans (02:33)

A family who is working to rebuild their neighborhood shares stories about hardships they have faced since Hurricane Katrina destroyed their home. Rebuilding Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Charter School is a priority for the community.

Funding New Orleans Charter Schools (02:17)

Charter schools are publicly funded on a per pupil basis and must raise funds for additional programs. Running these schools comes with responsibilities that don't come with traditional public schools. Many charter schools fail because of money.

New Orleans Charter Science & Mathematics High School (02:28)

The principle and teachers at a New Orleans school felt constrained by the "dysfunctional bureaucracy" of the old public school system. Before Hurricane Katrina the faculty voted to apply for charter school status.

School After Hurricane Katrina (03:15)

An 11th grade student at New Orleans Charter Science and Mathematics High School talks about her life. One teacher describes her as a great student with some issues that need to be addressed.

Charter School Structure (01:36)

Teachers at New Orleans Charter Science and Mathematics High School express a belief that their discipline structure is too flexible. The charter school format give school employees the freedom to make choices for their classrooms.

Charter School Expectations (02:52)

Many students were uprooted by Hurricane Katrina. At New Orleans Charter Science and Mathematics High School many kids are behind. The school has the freedom to adjust the budget to meet student needs but must produce results.

Waiting for Help in New Orleans (03:23)

A family that is working to rebuild their homes after Hurricane Katrina sheds light on the struggles facing many families in New Orleans. They are waiting for schools, medical care, and help rebuilding their community.

Rebuilding the Lower Ninth Ward (02:48)

When a family visits a New Orleans school they are informed that the opening date has been postponed again. At an annual parade for Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day community members discuss the new school.

Future of New Orleans (01:25)

A newspaper reporter in New Orleans sites Plessy v. Ferguson as a turning point for minorities in the city. He is optimistic about the future because he knows the people in his community are willing to fight for their unique way of life.

Reopening New Orleans Schools (01:44)

In June of 2007 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Charter School was the first public school in the Lower Ninth Ward to open its doors.

Combining Strengths for Better Education (02:42)

Independent schools need to find effective ways of networking with each other in order to be successful. Charter school staff believe children are getting a better education than they were before Hurricane Katrina.